Water Consumption... explanation please.

aud82
aud82 Posts: 30 Member
edited September 28 in Food and Nutrition
A friend and I were discussing the necessity for sooooooooo much water. You often hear "That's just water weight". And a good portion of your body is made up of water.. so... our question is, why do we want to pump more water in, if weight is what we're tryin to lose?

Replies

  • MsElphaba
    MsElphaba Posts: 432 Member
    Because your body needs that water. If you don't drink enough, it hoards it and you gain weight. Drink enough water and body happily flushes what it doesn't need.

    L
  • trainguy917
    trainguy917 Posts: 366 Member
    Because not drinking enough water will make your body retain the little water you do drink. Drinking plenty of water keeps the excess flushed out.
  • ASchreiber321
    ASchreiber321 Posts: 4 Member
    Drinking more water may seem like you'd gain more "water weight" but more water helps flush out toxins in your body and keep you healthy!

    This link might be helpful!

    http://nutrition.about.com/od/hydrationwater/a/waterarticle.htm
  • swanny320
    swanny320 Posts: 169 Member
    Your body needs water.The water weight people refer to is the water your body retains when you are basically dehydrated. Salt and sugars attract water so when your body has an excess amount of those things, the water is drawn to those places. By thoroughly hydrating your body, you flush your system of those things. When you drink tons of water, your kidneys are able to rid the body of all the toxins, which is why your skin clears up, your urine turns pale, and you generally FEEL better. :)
  • RattieLove
    RattieLove Posts: 125
    It flushes out toxins, fills you up, I've heard it speeds your metabolism (especially when the water is COLD!), clears your skin, keeps you from feeling dizzy or lightheaded while working out, it's refreshing!, ..your MUSCLES consist of 75% WATER, so it's good to feed those muscles and keep them from getting so sore!, protects and moisturizes joints.
  • SarahofTwins
    SarahofTwins Posts: 1,169 Member
    A friend and I were discussing the necessity for sooooooooo much water. You often hear "That's just water weight". And a good portion of your body is made up of water.. so... our question is, why do we want to pump more water in, if weight is what we're tryin to lose?

    Here ya go....


    Water is your body's principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.

    Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired.

    How much water do you need?

    Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.

    So how much water does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? In general, doctors recommend 8 or 9 cups. Here are the most common ways of calculating that amount:

    Replacement approach. The average urine output for adults is about 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) a day. You lose close to an additional liter (about 4 cups) of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements. Food usually accounts for 20 percent of your total fluid intake, so if you consume 2 liters of water or other beverages a day (a little more than 8 cups) along with your normal diet, you will typically replace your lost fluids.Eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Another approach to water intake is the "8 x 8 rule" — drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters). The rule could also be stated, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," as all fluids count toward the daily total. Although the approach really isn't supported by scientific evidence, many people use this easy-to-remember rule as a guideline for how much water and other fluids to drink.Dietary recommendations. The Institute of Medicine advises that men consume roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.Even apart from the above approaches, if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate. If you're concerned about your fluid intake, check with your doctor or a registered dietitian. He or she can help you determine the amount of water that's best for you.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283
  • You want to lose fat, NOT WATER! Everyone has answered really well, and I agree. Also, drinking a few cups of water before you eat is a good way to not over eat too!
  • TinaS88
    TinaS88 Posts: 817 Member
    You need water to live.. lol.. I have have increased my water intake soooo much and the first couple days I was "bloated" but now my body is adjusting to it. One week and I already feel MUCH better drinking all the water instead of soda!
  • liveforfit
    liveforfit Posts: 39
    It improves your skin and helps flushes out the toxins.
  • aud82
    aud82 Posts: 30 Member
    Very nice! Thank you! That explains it! :)
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    Read this article - seems long, but it's an easy to read format and goes quickly. One of the best articles about water I've ever seen. Addresses some of the myths about water and at the end is a summary of the reasons why water is so important to our health.

    http://www.experiencelifemag.com/issues/june-2010/health-wellness/drink-to-your-health.html
  • phenrichs
    phenrichs Posts: 102
    Have you ever had a massage and afterward started to feel sore more than you were before the massage? I have until one therapist gave me a bottle of water and told me that I needed to drink this and 2 more within 2-3 hours of the massage because massage and exercise releases toxins from the muscles into the blood and the extra water aids in flushing it out. I did what she told me and felt great. It was the first time I had been truly refreshed from a massage.

    That was convincing enough for me to believe all the water hype.
    Remember the theory on fluid loss through breathing is even worse in winter when the air is much drier.
  • mom23nuts
    mom23nuts Posts: 636 Member
    it is the medium that carries all the excess junk out. so drink up!
  • MeganJo
    MeganJo Posts: 69
    Water is SUPER important! I cannot stress that enough. It is recommended you drink 96 oz a day plus an additional 8 oz for every 25 lbs you are above your ideal body weight. Your body is made up of 60% water and just a 2% loss of fluid can adversely affect circulatory function and performance.

    Water benefits:
    - Improves endocrine gland function.
    -Increases percentage of fat for energy purposes.
    -Decreases appetite (keeps you from overeating!).
    -Distributes nutrients throughout the body efficiently.
    -Regulates body temperature.
    -Maintains blood volume.
    -It also helps to boost your metabolism!

    Dehydration on the other hand, is something your body cannot adapt to. It impairs every physiological function:
    -Decreased blood volume.
    -Decreased performance.
    -Decreased blood pressure.
    -Decreased sweat rate.
    -Decreased blood flow to skin.
    -Decreased cardiac output.
    -Increased heart rate.
    -Increased perceived exertion.
    -Increased use of muscle glycogen.


    If you have any questions just message me, I'll be happy to help you out =]
    All this info I know from getting my personal training certification, this is what they teach us with the NASM program. So I'm not just pulling this out of thin air.
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
    A friend and I were discussing the necessity for sooooooooo much water. You often hear "That's just water weight". And a good portion of your body is made up of water.. so... our question is, why do we want to pump more water in, if weight is what we're tryin to lose?
    We pump more water in primarily because there is a huge industry that makes billions of dollars trying to convince us to drink bottled water and because sites like MFP recommend "8 x 8" because it helps ensure that people lose weight.
    The only scientific study I have seen was quite an eye opener for me.

    http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/283/5/R993.full

    Some interesting things about this article:
    1 - the author has no apparent vested interest in the outcome. He makes a living as a researcher at a highly respected university.
    2 - the author is a medical doctor who specializes in the kidneys
    3 - he examines both sides of the issue

    4 - he is reporting on a serious body of work. He's not doing a survey or repeating what he "heard". He and his research assistants scanned medical literature and are reporting their results.
    5 - he has footnotes to other research papers

    That article changed my understanding of what our body needs for daily water consumption. You might want to give it a read.

    Back to a statement I made earlier, about MFP recommending 8 cups. There are valid reasons for that, just the way that there are valid reasons why my girlfriend's weight loss clinic recommends that much water — it helps people lose weight. Why? Because people eat less when they drink that much water. Also, cold water forces your body to generate heat which means you burn more calories (OK, only 25 calories or something trivial but…)

    So, there's no harm in drinking 8 cups of water but, if you're not drinking enough water, your body will tell you so via the "thirst" mechanism. The thirst mechanism has been around for, what, 3.5 million years? I think they've worked the bugs out of it by now!
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